Self-Care Helps Creatives Embrace an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Today we are living in a time when creatives of all types are choosing an entrepreneurial path. Yet, fear, loneliness, and overall emotional overwhelm keep creatives from building a successful brand and using self-care in a meaningful way. Moving beyond this fear requires education, the right support, and simply taking one step forward. Here are a number of strategies we have found to be crucial for entrepreneurial success.

Self-Care

We can not overstate this enough. Taking care of your physical and emotional wellbeing is the ultimate key to entrepreneurial success. This likely means healing old wounds, managing anxiety, and finding a system of self-care that simply works. This is one of the reasons why we love City Wellness Collective as much as we do. You have access to a network of healers from all different backgrounds to build the right support team.

The biggest mistake you can make is to not take care of yourself. If you think you don’t have time, that is an indication that work in this area is greatly needed! Your entrepreneurial journey will force you to rest and heal— so it is wise to start your journey here.

Take the Plunge— Market Yourself

Building your brand requires a long period of development. If you have taken care of your self-care needs, this process may flow more easily. Most entrepreneurs will tell you that it takes years for them to feel confident enough to know what content to put out there. We do, however, suggest that you simply begin to get out of your comfort zone and start a Facebook and Instagram profile. Without networking and building a following, your business will not have the momentum it needs to take off. Truly fake it until you make it with this one.

In addition, start interacting with profiles that you enjoy following. Liking and commenting is an easy way to get your name out in the open and to build the important relationships you will need for referrals to flow to you.

“Focus on identifying your target audience, communicating an authentic message that they want and need and project yourself as an “expert” within your niche.” —Kim Garst

We have found that social media feels easier for creatives than going out to networking events and talking about what he or she does.

Organization as a Business Strategy

Money and time is lost when organization goes out the window. Many creatives are great with idea generation but struggle to keep things organized. The benefits of staying organized include:

Feeling more in control

Enjoying the little wins

Increased sense of clarity

Heightened levels of confidence

We love applications like Awesome Note, an all-in-one calendar that allow you to have keep your notes, schedule, photos, to-do-list, calendar, and much more at your fingertips.

If you have trouble with time-management, we recommend 30/30. It sets specific time limits and breaks the day into more manageable time frames that the user can set to do certain activities. The most successful entrepreneurs often schedule their days in 15 minute increments.

Finally, we recommend speaking with your self-care support team to figure out how best to organize your time based on your natural energy levels throughout the day. Knowing the time of day that you write best versus the time of day that you’re better at connecting with people will help you commit to a schedule that truly works for you.

Maintain the Love of Learning

Our world is ever-changing. When creating a brand you need to keep in mind what you like to do may not be the best way of conveying information. Entrepreneurs who dedicate some part of their week to networking and talking about ideas with other entrepreneurs not only feel less lonely but are more likely to learn new techniques and strategies for their future success. It is best to keep an open mind and to use your learning time wisely. Consider attending events in your industry or industries that interest you, watching TED talks, or simply listening to a podcast. We really love NPR’s “How I Build This.”

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.” —Roger von Oech

Find the Time to Play

Building your brand or company is hard work. As adults we forget that when we are enjoying our life, the hard work doesn’t feel hard. If you feel like you are facing an uphill battle, simply stop and go do something fun. Moving your body (exercise or dance) can be great interventions to unblock the creativity needed to keep going.

Successful entrepreneurs have grit and self-compassion. These skills allow them to deal with the inevitable highs and lows of business. Whenever you are stressed and feel like you can’t move forward because of these challenges, remind yourself that there is always a solution but you may have to choose to go play rather than punish yourself for failing.

“Play is the exultation of the possible.”—Martin Buber

Believe in Your Capabilities

Starting an entrepreneurial business can be overwhelming for young creatives. By marketing yourself wisely, utilizing curated organization skills and self-care techniques, you can build the mindset needed in starting a business. Entrepreneurs have creative thought processes, confidence, and self assurance qualities, and determination. Take a step outside of your comfort zone and you can find out your true potential.

Danielle Dyen-Shapiro

Research Assistant

Danielle is a senior at Sarah Lawrence College completing her pre-med requirements. She combines her studies with dance and uses a multitude of learning styles to achieve her academic success (including taking a dance anatomy workshop). Danielle currents serves as VAR’s research assistant and is focused on better understanding how students interact with career counseling services on college campuses.

Dr. Jennifer B. Rhodes

Founder

Dr. Jennifer B. Rhodes is a licensed psychologist and relationship expert. She is the founder of Rapport Relationships, a strategic relationship consulting firm. Dr. Rhodes is a sought after relationship expert who has appeared on WPIX-11 and FOX News and well has been quoted in the NY Post, Women’s Health, Business Insider, the Huffington Post and various other media outlets.

In 2017, Dr. Rhodes foundedVisual Arts Reimagined (VAR), an entrepreneurship and leadership consultation program for visual artists. VAR combines business skills and visual arts mentorship with relationship neuroscience skills to give artists the tools they need to design their future.